Pennant and method of making a pennant

ABSTRACT

An improved pennant and the method of making this pennant is disclosed. A strip of material is brought to a printing operation whereat the desired pennant design in the number of colors is applied. After drying the colored paint or ink the strip is brought to a die cutting station whereat the pennant is cut to the preselected outer configuration. At this same or another station at a position adjacent the long end of the pennant there is formed at least two pairs of substantially parallel cuts made through the pennant, each pair of cuts being disposed a short distance from the end edge. These cuts are at right angles to this end edge. One pair of cuts is near one side edge and another pair is near the opposite side edge. The strip portions between these parallel cuts may be displaced from the plane of the pennant to provide loops through which a stick or rod may be inserted for carrying and displaying the pennant in the usual manner. In the middle of the long end is a tab having a small hole which permits the pennant to be displayed on a small pin or rod prior to its sale. This tab is attached to the long end so as to provide a support for the pennant until the time of sale at which time it is detached from the pennant body.

United States Patent [1 1 Scarlet i 1 PENNANT AND METHOD 6F MAKING A PENNANT [76] Inventor: Ted Scarlet, 101 Lilac Ln.,

Bergenfield, NJ. 07621 [22] Filed: May 31, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 365,751

Primary Examiner-Louis J. Capozi Attorney, Agent, or FirmRalph R. Roberts [57] ABSTRACT An improved pennant and the method of making this Jan. 29, 1974 pennant is disclosed. A strip of material is brought to a printing operation whereat the desired pennant design in the number of colors is applied. After drying the colored paint or ink the strip is brought to a die cutting station whereat the pennant is cut to the preselected outer configuration. At this same or another station at a position adjacent the long end of the pennant there is formed at least two pairs of substantially parallel cuts made through the pennant, each pair of cuts being disposed a short distance from the end edge. These cuts are at right angles to this end edge. One pair of cuts is near one side edge and another pair is near the opposite side edge. The strip portions between these parallel cuts may be displaced from the plane of the pennant to provide loops through which a stick or rod may be inserted for carrying and displaying the pennant in the usual manner. In the middle of the long end is a tab having a small hole which permits the pennant to be displayed on a small pin or rod prior to its sale. This tab is attached to the long end so as to provide a support for the pennant until the time of sale at which time it is detached from the pennant body.

8 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PENNANT AND METHOD OF MAKING A PENNANT CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION Reference is made to U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 236,931 filed Mar. 22, 1972 by the Applicant of this invention. This prior application entitled, Pennant and Method of Making a Pennant and the disclosure therein is incorporated by reference into this application. In particular the method of making a pennant as disclosed in Ser. No. 236,931 is generally followed in the making of the pennant of this invention except that the suspending of the pennant for display in the present application is by a removable tab while in the referenced application it is by an X-cut hole near the large end of the pennant.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention With reference to the field of art as established in the United States Patent Office this invention pertains to the general class entitled, Signals and Indicators (Class 1 l6) and more particularly to the subclass entitled, flags and flagstaffs (subclass 173) and with reference to the method of making to the general class of Printing (Class 101) and more particularly to the subclass entitled special article machines (subclass 35).

2. Description of the Prior Art Pennants upon which are depicted various scenes, representation of athletic team names and the like are, of course, well known. In recent years the technique of screen printing has been employed to make multicolored pennants depicting scenes or names of places, monuments, structures and the like which are tourist attractions. Souvenir stands at or near these attractions usually carry and display many of such pennants which are intended to serve as a reminder of said visit. Compact packaging and display of such pennants has been a problem. The rods or small poles upon which the conventional pennant was mounted was often attached prior to its shipment, or if subsequent to its shipment, prior to its display at the stand. Where these pennants are attached to the rods or poles at the stand by the at tendant, the conventional manner of attachment to the usually provided extending tabs is very time consuming and sometimes is not satisfactory. Display of the pennants on their attached rods does not lend itself to stacking or for removal and examination by the customer except where displayed on special racks or tables.

Efforts to alleviate these problems have resulted in several U.S. patents among which is U.S. Pat. No. 3,107,648 to Lundstrom as issued in Oct. 1963; U.S. Pat. No. 2.l92,5l4 to Careton as issued on Mar. 5, 1940 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,377,219 to Ellis as issued on May 29, 1945. In these patents are shown holes which permit the slidable mounting of a stiff pennant on an automobile radio antenna, a flagstaff, rod or the like. These punched holes are readily visible and where freely slidable on the pole do not provide a snug grip on the pole. Where the fit on the holes is sufficient to retain the pennant where positioned on the pole, the pennant becomes rippled such as is seen in FIG. 1 of Lundstrom U.S. Pat. No. 3,107,648. Contrary to the visible holes shown in the above noted patents the loops provided in the present invention are substantially invisible until used when they permit and enable the mounted pennant to be displayed in substantially flat condition while still being slidably mounted and retained on the pole at any selected position. The pennant and novel method of making a pennant in accordance with the teachings of this application not only provides a superior pennant which retains its flat condition while mounted on a pole but also provides a means for supporting the pennant by which it is easily displayed. At or after the time of sale the removable tab by which the pennant is supported is removed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention may be summarized at least in part with reference to its objects.

It is an object of this invention to provide, and it does provide, a pennant and a method of making a pennant in which at its long end there is formed a plurality of pairs of substantially parallel cuts through the pennant fabric, said cuts being substantially parallel to the axis of the pennant and providing means to form loops for retaining a pole or stick while retaining the pennant in a flat condition.

It is a further object of this invention to provide, and it does provide, a pennant and a method of making a pennant in which at least two pairs of substantially parallel slits are made through the fabric near its long end with the material between the slits forming loops for selectively retaining the pennant on a small rod. A pair of extending tabs are formed on the large end of the pennant and between these tabs is a detachable tab having a mounting hole therein. This tab is attached at two points to the pennant end and at these attaching points are partially severed. The mounting hole provided in this tab provides means for the displaying of the pennant on a thin pin or nail.

It is a still further object to provide, and it does provide, a pennant which is printed on at least one side and in so printing provides a colored end strip at the long end of the pennant. In this colored strip is provided at least two pairs of substantially parallel cuts of a determined length which are disposed at substantially right angles to the end of the pennant. On or substantially on the longitudinal center line of the pennant and attached at its long end is a semisecured tab having a mounting hole therein.

In brief, the pennant of this invention provides an inexpensive product, easily grouped for display on a pin in a manner to utilize the least amount of display space. Loop means provided by parallel cuts in the fabric enable the pennant to be slidably mounted on a pole or rod when desired. The pennant thus made may be compactly stacked in a flat manner in the minimum of space. The pennant is made by plural printing on a strip of stock. The outer perimeter of this pennant is formed by die cutting and also by die cutting there is formed parallel loop forming slits and at the long end of the pennant is a semi-attached tab by which the pennant is supported until removed at the time of sale.

In addition to the above summary the following disclosure is detailed to insure adequacy and aid in understanding of the invention. This disclosure, however, is not intended to prejudice that purpose of a patent which is to cover each new inventive concept therein no matter how it may later be disguised by variations in form or additions of further improvements. For this reason there has been chosen a specific embodiment of the pennant with integrally formed supporting lops and an X-cut for display support as adopted for mounting on a pole or rod and showing a preferred means for making said pennant.

This specific embodiment has been chosen for the purposes of illustration and description as shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 represents a plan view of a felt or similar cloth material and showing applied thereto a printed motif or design which has been die cut to form a completed pennant, and

FIG. 2 represents an enlarged plan view, substantially full size, of a fragmentary portion of the large or long end of a pennant and showing in particular the relationship of the rod retaining slots and the semiattached tab and its hole which is used for mounting of the pennant on a small pin for display purposes.

In the following description and in the claims various details will be identified by specific names for convenience, these names, however, are intended to be generic in their application. Corresponding reference characters refer to like members throughout the several figures of the drawing.

The drawing accompanying, and forming part of, this specification discloses certain details of construction for the purpose of explanation of the broader aspects of the invention, but it should be understood that structural details may be modified in various respects without departure from the concept and principles of the invention and that the pennant of this invention may be incorporated in other structural forms than the particular triangular configuration shown.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now in particular to the drawing there is depicted a pennant of a generally triangular configuration. This pennant may be made from a strip of cloth upon which the printed colors are simultaneously printed. This strip is usually of a solid background, usually white, and the motif 12 is usually in a series of colors which are printed sequentially to provide a mu]- ticolor design. This printing is either by conventional multicolored printing or by screen printing.

After the printing step is completed the pennant is brought to the cutting station whereat the outer perimeter including the cutting of the two extending tabs 14 and 16 is accomplished.

In addition to these tabs there is also provided means for the ready mounting of the pennant on a stick or pole without the need of auxiliary attaching facilities such as pins or glue. This ready mounting means incorporates three like, double parallel cuts identified respectively as 18, 20 and 22. These double cuts as seen in particular in FIG. 2 and as reduced to practice are each about three-quarters of an inch in length. The cuts forming each parallel pair are spaced about a quarter of an inch apart and are spaced from the end of the pennant 24 about an eighth of an inch. To retain a rod or stick, the strip between the cuts is displaced from the plane of the pennant by pushing it forwardly or backwardly to form a loop through which a small stick of approximately a quarter of an inch in diameter is inserted and pushed therethrough. Although only two loops are required, three retaining loops are preferred to retain the pennant on a rod. In displacing the strips to form loops, the strips are moved to the same side so that all loops are either toward the front or toward the rear side of the pennant.

Central of the upper end 24 of the pennant and a short distance in from the pair of extending tabs 14 and 16 is a semi-attached tab 26 having a small hole 28 formed near its outer end and substantially central of the pennant. The hole 28 permits one or more pennants to be hung for display upon a small pin or nail usually at a souvenir or novelty stand providing a sales outlet for the pennant. A grouping of pennants of like or dissimilar design is mounted upon a single pin and by gravity hangs in a vertical attitude. As they, the pennants, are sold or examined they are slid from the pin usually one at a time. The attendant, when the pennant is purchased, removes the tab 26 by causing a separation at the attaching portions 30 and 32, each of which, as reduced to practice, is about one-half inch long. If the pennant is of a felt-like material with some substance the lines 30 and 32 are partially cut through at the time of cutting the pennant. A perforated attachment can also be provided if desired.

USE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE PENNANT The pennant of this invention is contemplated to be made of felt or the like and having a sufficient-substance to provide the general stiffness or body now commonly provided in pennants. By means of silk screening or by other printing means there is printed at least on one side of the pannant the desired printed display. This display may be words, figures, scenes, characters and the like either alone or in combination and in a multiple of colors. The original color of the pennant is usually left unprinted or uncolored in parts to provide one of the color patterns of the pennant product.

After the pennant has been printed it is passed to a steel rule die or like die cutting means whereat the periphery of the pennant, the pairs of slits 18, 20 and 22 and the tab 26 are cut through and from the fabric. These slits, as illustrated, preferably are made in a colored border or strip 34 provided at the long end of the pennant. Where provided, this colored end border is usually made of a neutral background, often brown, and is sufficiently solid so that the slits 18, 20 and 22 are not readily discemable unless closely looked for by the purchaser, salesman or user of the pennant who desires to mount the pennant on a stick or small pole. As noted, the tab 26 is semiattached to the end 24 and between tabs 14 and 16. The attaching points 30 and 32 include cuts which are only partially through the tab and when the pennant body and the tab 26 are each grasped and the tab pulled the cuts 30 and 32 separate. If the pulling does not effect this separation a scissors or knife can complete the separation.

The printed pennant in its trimmed condition may be shipped or stored in an aligned and fiat stacked condition since there is no appreciable difference in thickness of any portion of the pennants. This flat stacking reduces the packing problems to an absolute minimum whether in a packing box or on a table, wall or like space. Where rods or small poles are to be sold or supplied with the pennant, these rods are usually separately shipped or stored in a pile away from the display stand. The salesman handling the sale of the pennant usually inserts the stick through the loops formed from the material between slits 18, 20 and 22. At the time of sale, the pennant has been removed from the display pin and the salesman removes the semiattached tab 26 if the customer desires it to be removed.

This pennant is unique and novel in that the cuts 18, 20 and 22 are not visible unless used. This is particularly true where the pennant is made of a felt-like material so that the cuts 18, 20 and 22 and the semicomplete cuts at 30 and 32 are inconspicuous if not completely invisible. The extending tabs 14 and 16 may be used to mount the pennant upon any conventional standard as by thumbtacks and the like. This pennant is also unique in that the tab 26 provides a means for mounting the pennant upon a single pin so that one or more pennants may be hung on this pin while utilizing the very minimum of display space and after it has served its purpose is discarded. This tab 26 is made of the waste material between tabs 14 and 16, hence, does not add to the material cost of the pennant.

To make a pennant in accordance with the above disclosure and teachings includes the steps of advancing a strip or bit of material to a printing station where the pennant stock is printed in a single or multiplicity of colors and arrangements to provide the desired display of information thereon. After the printing of the strip by a silk screening or other technique and drying thereof, tbe printed strip is brought in way of a die cutting apparatus such as steel rule die whereby there is performed the step of peripheral cutting of the pennant to the outer desired configuration. At this same time, prior to the outside cutting, or after the peripheral cutting of the pennant there is cut into the borader end of the pennant and adjacent the outer ends of this broad or long end at least two pairs of parallel cuts arranged in a spaced relationship. Each pair of cuts or slits are mere knife slits occupying no space in the stock. When the strip or tab between the slits is displaced from the plane of the pennant this strip provides a loop for the retention of a rod or stick of desired diameter when inserted and advanced therethrough. When die cutting there is also formed in two semiattaching portions of a tab support attached to the long end of the pennant a pair of incomplete cuts by which the tab may be easily removed. This tab has a pin hole providing means for the display mounting of the pennant upon a pin. After display and the sale of the pennant this tab is pulled from the pennant end or is cut from the end so the initially seen tab is discarded and the evidence thereof is hidden from the user and viewer of the pennant.

Terms such as left, right, up, down, bottom, top, front, back, in," out and the like are applicable to the embodiment shown and described in conjunction with the drawing. These terms are merely for the purposes of description and do not necessarily apply to the position in which the pennant may be constructed or used.

While a particular embodiment of the pennant as shown and method for making in a triangular configuration has been shown and described it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto and protection is sought to the broadest extent the prior art allows.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved pennant of felt, cloth, plastic, and the like, said pennant having at least one side printed to depict scenes, names, insignias and the like, the pennant cut from a larger piece of material from which is provided a desired outer configuration, the pennant being of one thickness permitting groups of like pennants to be stored, shipped and displayed in a flat condition, said pennant in its finished cut condition including a long end adjacent which there is formed at least two pairs of substantially parallel cuts made through the pennant, each pair of cuts being disposed a short distance from the edge of said long end, said cuts being disposed at right angles to said long end edge with one pair of cuts being disposed near one side edge of the pennant and another pair disposed near the opposite side edge, said cuts being spaced from each other so that strip portions between said parallel cuts may be displaced from the same side of the plane of the pennant to provide loops through which a stick, rod and the like may be inserted for carrying and displaying the pennant in a flat manner, and a suspending removable tab member having a hole therethrough and adapted to slide on and off a pin, nail, rod and the like by which the pennant may be suspended for display, said tab being attached to the long end at its edge by means of an incompletely cut through portion which is easily pulled, cut, torn and the like to cause separation of this tab from the pennant when and where such separation is desired.

2. A pennant as in claim 1 in which the pennant is generally triangular in configuration, is of felt and in which at the long end thereof there is printed an end border of a neutral color which is sufficiently wide to provide an area into which the parallel cuts are formed in the pennant.

3. A pennant as in claim 2 in which the end of the pennant is formed with two tab portions with one on each side of the removable suspending tab.

4. A pennant as in claim 3 in which the suspending removable tab member is attached at two portions, each of which is approximately one-half inch in length.

5. The method of making a pennant of felt, cloth, plastic and like sheet material, said pennant when completed having at least two loop means which may be displaced from their normal condition in the plane of the pennant to provide retaining loops for the mounting of the pennant so that said pennant may be displayed in a flat plane while being supported by and on a rod, stick and the like, said steps for making this pennant including: (a) advancing sheet material to a printing means; (b) printing on at least one side of the sheet material a plurality of colors to provide the desired pennant design; (c) transporting the printed sheet material from the printing means for further handling; (d) forming a steel rule die so as to cut the desired outer pennant configuration which includes a suspending tab member extending from the long end of the pennant; (e) mounting at least four short rule die portions in and within the outer die cutting configuration and in substantially parallel alignment and like lengths and spaced to provide means for making at least two pairs of cuts through the pennant, said short rule die portions positioned a short distance from a long end of the pennant; (f) providing and mounting a rule die so as to make an incomplete cut at the line where this suspending tab joins the pennant, this incomplete cut being made during die cutting operations; (g) advancing the die into the sheet material so as to cut the desired outer pennant configuration and at least two pairs of substantially parallel cuts made through the pennant, each pair of cuts being disposed a short distance from the edge of a long end of the pennant, said cuts being disposed at substantially right angles to said long end edge with one pair of cuts being disposed near one side edge of the pennant and another pair disposed near the opposite side edge, said cuts being spaced from each other so that strip portions between said parallel cuts may be displaced from the plane of the pennant to provide loops through which a stick, rod and the like may be inserted for carrying and displaying the pennant in a flat manner and at the pennant end to provide an incomplete cut at the attaching line of the suspending tab to this pennant end, and (h) separating said die cut pennant from the strip of stock for storage and display of the pennant.

6. The method of making a pennant as in claim which further includes mounting in the cutting die a small punch which is disposed within the outer trimming portion of the die forming the suspending tab member so that during the step of die cutting there is punched a hole through the material substantially on the center line of the pennant and in the suspending tab portion, said hole permitting the pennant to be displayed on a small pin, rod and the like.

7. The method of making a pennant as in claim 5 in which in the forming of the steel rule die that portion which cuts the outer configuration is generally triangular in shape and formed in this outer die cutting configuration is two tab-forming portions with one tab portion disposed on each side of the suspending tab which as the pennant is cut causes to extend from the long end two tabs providing additional and permanent mounting and support means for the pennant.

8. The method of making a pennant as in claim 5 which further includes an additional pair of short rule die portions which are mounted in the die so as to be midway of the other two pairs and in alignment therewith so that during the cutting of the pennant there are formed three pairs of parallel cuts spaced about onequarter of an inch apart. 

1. An improved pennant of felt, cloth, plastic, and the like, said pennant having at least one side printed to depict scenes, names, insignias and the like, the pennant cut from a larger piece of material from which is provided a desired outer configuration, the pennant being of one thickness permitting groups of like pennants to be stored, shipped and displayed in a flat condition, said pennant in its finished cut condition including a long end adjacent which there is formed at least two pairs of substantially parallel cuts made through the pennant, each pair of cuts being disposed a short distance from the edge of said long end, said cuts being disposed at right angles to said long end edge with one pair of cuts being disposed near one side edge of the pennant and another pair disposed near the opposite side edge, said cuts being spaced from each other so that strip portions between said parallel cuts may be displaced from the same side of the plane of the pennant to provide loops through which a stick, rod and the like may be inserted for carrying and displaying the pennant in a flat manner, and a suspending removable tab member having a hole therethrough and adapted to slide on and off a pin, nail, rod and the like by which the pennant may Be suspended for display, said tab being attached to the long end at its edge by means of an incompletely cut through portion which is easily pulled, cut, torn and the like to cause separation of this tab from the pennant when and where such separation is desired.
 2. A pennant as in claim 1 in which the pennant is generally triangular in configuration, is of felt and in which at the long end thereof there is printed an end border of a neutral color which is sufficiently wide to provide an area into which the parallel cuts are formed in the pennant.
 3. A pennant as in claim 2 in which the end of the pennant is formed with two tab portions with one on each side of the removable suspending tab.
 4. A pennant as in claim 3 in which the suspending removable tab member is attached at two portions, each of which is approximately one-half inch in length.
 5. The method of making a pennant of felt, cloth, plastic and like sheet material, said pennant when completed having at least two loop means which may be displaced from their normal condition in the plane of the pennant to provide retaining loops for the mounting of the pennant so that said pennant may be displayed in a flat plane while being supported by and on a rod, stick and the like, said steps for making this pennant including: (a) advancing sheet material to a printing means; (b) printing on at least one side of the sheet material a plurality of colors to provide the desired pennant design; (c) transporting the printed sheet material from the printing means for further handling; (d) forming a steel rule die so as to cut the desired outer pennant configuration which includes a suspending tab member extending from the long end of the pennant; (e) mounting at least four short rule die portions in and within the outer die cutting configuration and in substantially parallel alignment and like lengths and spaced to provide means for making at least two pairs of cuts through the pennant, said short rule die portions positioned a short distance from a long end of the pennant; (f) providing and mounting a rule die so as to make an incomplete cut at the line where this suspending tab joins the pennant, this incomplete cut being made during die cutting operations; (g) advancing the die into the sheet material so as to cut the desired outer pennant configuration and at least two pairs of substantially parallel cuts made through the pennant, each pair of cuts being disposed a short distance from the edge of a long end of the pennant, said cuts being disposed at substantially right angles to said long end edge with one pair of cuts being disposed near one side edge of the pennant and another pair disposed near the opposite side edge, said cuts being spaced from each other so that strip portions between said parallel cuts may be displaced from the plane of the pennant to provide loops through which a stick, rod and the like may be inserted for carrying and displaying the pennant in a flat manner and at the pennant end to provide an incomplete cut at the attaching line of the suspending tab to this pennant end, and (h) separating said die cut pennant from the strip of stock for storage and display of the pennant.
 6. The method of making a pennant as in claim 5 which further includes mounting in the cutting die a small punch which is disposed within the outer trimming portion of the die forming the suspending tab member so that during the step of die cutting there is punched a hole through the material substantially on the center line of the pennant and in the suspending tab portion, said hole permitting the pennant to be displayed on a small pin, rod and the like.
 7. The method of making a pennant as in claim 5 in which in the forming of the steel rule die that portion which cuts the outer configuration is generally triangular in shape and formed in this outer die cutting configuration is two tab forming portions with one tab portion disposed on each side of the suspending tab which as the pennant is cut causes to exTend from the long end two tabs providing additional and permanent mounting and support means for the pennant.
 8. The method of making a pennant as in claim 5 which further includes an additional pair of short rule die portions which are mounted in the die so as to be midway of the other two pairs and in alignment therewith so that during the cutting of the pennant there are formed three pairs of parallel cuts spaced about one-quarter of an inch apart. 